Mormons Banned Accused Molester From Contacting Children – ABC News

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned a member from contact with children who is accused of sexually abusing children during a camping trip nearly four decades ago when he was known as television show host “Mr. Wonder.”

Frank Szeles, as he was known in the San Diego area, was “removed from all positions related to children” after failing to comply with the church’s child protection policies, Eric Hawkins, a church spokesman, said Thursday.

After his removal, a parent expressed “a generalized concern” about the suspect’s behavior toward a child and the church urged the parent to report it to authorities, Hawkins said.

The church spokesman said in an email that Szeles belongs to a Mormon congregation in the San Diego area. But Hawkins didn’t specify which one, indicate which positions he held or elaborate on the nature and time of the alleged incidents. He didn’t immediately respond to questions seeking more detail.

Asked to comment, the suspect’s attorney, Marc Carlos, said, “Clearly whatever these allegations were, they were not serious enough to refer to the police, which is what they should have done if they were serious.”

The Boy Scouts of America said Wednesday that the suspect was Cubmaster of Pack 888 in Bonita, near San Diego, but he was “removed from Scouting several years ago for non-compliance with our youth protection policies and procedures.” Without elaborating, it said his removal followed a complaint from a parent who was not involved in the group and was unrelated to scouting.

Authorities say the man arrested Monday at his Bonita home is Frank John Selas, a 76-year-old fugitive who hosted the “Mr. Wonder” children’s show on KNOE-TV in north Louisiana in the 1970s and changed his name after moving to the San Diego area.

The suspect challenged authorities to prove he is the fugitive. On Wednesday, a judge ordered him to be held without bail and scheduled a hearing for Feb. 11 to establish identity.